ADA, Okla. – The East Central University women's basketball team battled with Southern Arkansas in the first game of 2020 in the Kerr Activities Center, falling 75-83 in Great American Conference action.

Scoring

• 1^st Quarter:  30-24
  • The Muleriders (10-3, 4-3 GAC) scored first, going ahead 3-0 on their first possession
  • The Tigers (3-10, 1-6 GAC) followed with an 11-0 run over the next 3 minutes
  • ECU continued the run to 14-1 over the next 1:30 minutes (14-4)
  • The Tigers kept pushing the tempo and increased the lead to as many as 16 (26-10), with 3 minutes left to play
  • SAU followed with a 14-4 run to end the stanza
    • Cut the lead to as little as 4 (28-24)
• 2^nd Quarter: 11-20 (41-44)
  • The Muleriders continued their momentum into the quarter
    • Started the stanza with a 6-0 run to gain a 31-30 advantage in the first 3 minutes
  • ECU quickly tied the game at 33 and then took a three-point lead, with 5 minutes left
  • The Tigers kept the lead around three for the next 3:30 minutes
  • SAU ended the quarter with a 7-1 run to gain the lead
• 3^rd Quarter: 11-21 (52-65)
  • The Muleriders continued to push in the second half, increasing the lead to 9 (52-43) in the first 2:30 minutes
  • The rest of the quarter was a back-and-forth battle of runs
  • SAU claimed the final run to take a 13-point lead
• 4^th Quarter: 23-18 (75-83)
  • The Muleriders kept the lead around 15 points for most of the stanza
  • In the final 3 minutes, ECU pushed back
    • In the next two minutes the Tigers went on an 8-1 run to cut the deficit to 9 (80-71)
  • ECU kept SAU without a field goal in the final 3 minutes
    • Made 3 field goals in the final 1:30 minutes
  • Missed free throws by the Muleriders kept the Tigers in the game
    • SAU went 4-for-10 at the charity stripe in the final 3 minutes

Tiger Quick Shots

• ECU shot better than the Muleriders by percentages, but not in field goals and 3-point field goals made
  • FG: ECU 21-of-44 (47.7%) / SAU 28-of-60 (46.7%)
  • 3PT FG: ECU 7-of-15 (46.7%) / SAU 12-of-28 (42.9%)
  • FT: 26-of-32 (81.3%) / SAU 15-of-26 (57.7%)
• Offensive rebounds were a key to SAU's game
  • Offensive Rebounds: ECU – 8 / SAU – 14
  • Second Chance Points: ECU 2 / SAU 14
• Sr. Sam Schwab was 1 rebound away from a double-double
  • 14 pts., 9 reb., 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 45.4 (5-of-11) FG%
    • Career high for steals
• Schwab was one of four players with double-digit point totals
  • Jr. Madison Rehl: 16 pts., 2 reb., 4 assists, 1 steal, 60.0 (3-of-5) FG%, 10-of-12 FT
    • Career high for points and free throws made
  • Sr. Madison Nickens: 15 pts., 3 reb., 2 assists, 3 steals, 57.1 (4-of-7) FG%, 66.7 (2-of-3) 3PT FG%
    • Season high for points and field goals made
  • So. Hannah Ladd: 14 pts., 4 reb., 1 assist
• Sr. Maci Hanson had a career high 3 blocks
  • 9 pts., 7 reb., 1 assist, 1 steal, 50.0 (2-of-4) FG%
• As a team the Tigers set a season high for points, steals and free throws made

Up Next

• ECU will wrap up a two-game home stand, Saturday, Jan. 11 against Arkansas-Monticello (1 p.m.)
• The Tigers will then start a four-game road trip
  • Thursday, Jan. 16 at Southeastern (5:30 p.m.)
  • Saturday, Jan. 18 at Southern Nazarene (1 p.m.)
  • Thursday, Jan. 23 at Henderson State (5:30 p.m.)
  • Saturday, Jan. 25 at Ouachita Baptist (1 p.m.)